"The boat is here!" The cry resounded from the Eofar docks and into Elsa's quarters in Margery's inn. "The travel boat is here!"
Elsa's eyes snapped open from her near-noon sleep. She was exhausted from the festivities of the past two nights, but the exclamation rejuvenated her. Nearly stumbling from the bed, she tore from the breezy room and ran down barefoot to the docks below.
"It's here!" She repeated, seeing the sails of a large boat cresting the horizon. She turned towards the young sailor who spotted the ship and began cheering alongside him. She was finally going to start her journey home.
By the time the boat finally settled into port, Hans and Agust had been collected—Agust from a midmorning stroll with Abbie and Hans from Margery's kitchen. The Southern Isle's prince rarely ventured far from the inn since the revelation of his past, and if he did it was always by Elsa's side. The queen felt bad for revealing his crimes to the citizens of Eofar, but the story would not have worked without a villain, even though his betrayal felt haphazardly thrust into the story. But that was all in the past. Hans was no longer a villain to her—he was something more, something she couldn't just yet describe. But whatever it was, it made her happy.
"Finally." Hans sighed, gently placing an arm around Elsa's shoulder. "I was beginning to wonder if they encountered a storm themselves."
"Hans!" Elsa scolded, elbowing him in the side.
"Genuine!" He insisted with a dramatic ouch. "I was being genuine this time." She smiled at him, pleasantly surprised. "Kinda."
Elsa rolled her eyes, but she didn't step away from his half hug, instead reaching up to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. Hans blushed happily, an embarrassed smile spreading across his features.
Agust looked at them, a mix of disapproval and sickness on his face. The sailor hadn't taken their new affections too well, but Elsa was adamant. It was not a relationship she wanted to hide, and there was no real reason to. The only way her and Hans could start a healthy friendship—and maybe something more—was if they were honest with one another and the world.
"Cristobal!" Margery cried as the boatmen came ashore, running to a sea tanned man wearing a three-point hat. The thick captain caught her in his arm, effortlessly lifting and giving her a loving spin.
"Father!" Abbie cried, running after her mother. Breaking from his embrace, Cristobal wrapped his arm around his daughter, pulling the reunited family into a warm hug.
"It is good to be back!" He boomed, white teeth flashing brightly. "It is good to be home." As the crew began unloading their haul and trades, Cristobal made his way down the docks, heading towards his long awaited home. Elsa looked at Margery expectantly, wanting to commune with the captain immediately. She was a bit reserved, however, since the man had just arrived and wanted to spend some time home.
"Uh, Cristo," Margery interjected, steering her husband away from the inn's stairs and towards the Arendellens, "There are some visitors the town would like you to meet."
Cristobal looked the three over, a smile on his face but eyes steely. "Visitors indeed. And where might you all be from?"
"We were in a shipwreck, Captain." Elsa began, holding his gaze. "We were given refuge and promised safe passage home on one of your travel boats."
"And I'm the one obliged to give this passage, I presume?" Cristobal mused, looking at Margery with a bit of contempt.
"Cristo," she pleaded approaching her husband with affection. "Don't be sour. Just wait till you hear about them! You'll jump back into that boat when you do!"
"Aye?" He looked back to the three castaways, eyes narrowed judiciously. "Let's hear it, then."
After a quick explanation of her royal status, Cristobal was all smiles and hand kisses. Eager to assist a stranded queen (with the promise of a hefty payment for both him and the island, as well as an open trade relationship), he agreed to give them passage at dawn the following morning.
"You have to give me at least a day in my own bed, with my family and wife's cooking." He compromised. "Then we can be off."
Though wishing to leave this minute, Elsa had agreed, fully knowing the pangs of missing loved ones herself. The captain deserved to spend some time with his family before sailing out into the unforgiving sea again.
"It's settled then!" Margery clapped happily, ushering her husband towards the house once again. "Now before you set sail tomorrow, Cristo," she murmured quietly, guiding him with a hand on his shoulder. "There are a few things about these dear folk you might want to know…"
"I guess this will mean goodbye." Abbie said to Agust quietly.
"Not till tomorrow!" The red head exclaimed, grabbing both her hands. "We've still got all of today!"
"You're being uncharacteristically positive." Hans interjected. Agust's face reddened with a sneer.
"This doesn't have to be goodbye." Elsa said smiling at the young sweethearts. "After all, Arendelle will need a trustworthy sailor to head up our trade relationship with the Eofar citizens."
Agust's blush deepened, but for different reasons. With a hesitant smile he asked, "Are you asking me—?"
"Who else has more experience with these people and their island than you?"
Abbie and Agust gasped in surprise, ecstatic and relieved all at once. "Oh, thank you thank you thank you!" Abbie squealed. She turned to Agust, arms out to wrap him in an excited hug, but without thought or warning the red head shot forward and kissed her lips.
Now it was Elsa's turn to gasp in surprise as Hans laughed heartily. The red blush crept all the way to the tips of Agust's ears by the time they broke apart, a silly smile of adoration and embarrassment stretched across his face. Abbie covered her mouth with her dark nails, stifling a girlish giggle as dark purple blossomed across her own face.
Seizing advantage of the romantic situation, and not wanting to miss a chance to be a glory hog, Hans pulled Elsa towards him in a tango-esque spin and planted his own kiss on the queen's radiant face. He laughed mischievously as Agust's red turned a bit green.
"Some things I will never understand." The sailor exasperated.
Cristobal was not too pleased to learn about Elsa's magic, but through the testimonies of his wife, daughter, and the town's butcher (who's opinion he apparently valued the most) he upheld his agreement to give the three castaways safe passage back home. Providing Elsa demonstrated some of her magic, first.
"It's just like the world up North!" He exclaimed, gently catching the snowflakes that fell in his calloused hands.
When tomorrow finally came, the trio headed to the boat, small carry-ons of gifted clothes and trinkets from the Eofar citizens clutched possessively in their hands.
"I guess I'll be seeing you soon, sailor." Abbie purred into Agust's ear as she said goodbye, planting a quick kiss on his cheek before backing away from the dock. The kiss did not go unnoticed this time. Her father's glare burned into the back of the young sailor's head. Agust turned around with a dopey grin, gaze suddenly locked with the incredulous captain. The young sailor visibly gulped. Hans laughed with amusement. This was going to be a fun ride home.
When the citizens finally released Elsa from the adoring clutches and exhausted their thousands upon thousands of goodbyes, the queen, with her southern prince in tow, finally boarded the boat to sail to home.
XXX
Elsa leaned against the boat rails, staring into the churning waves of the dark sea. They were calmer this time around, all their energy directed in guiding her home. The wind pulled gently through her loose hair and filled the sails like balloons. It was clear and beautiful, the sky full of more stars than she remembered possible. Why hadn't the trip back from the Southern Isles been this smooth?
"Cold night."
"I hadn't noticed." She replied with a weak smile, gingerly accepting the burlap blanket Hans wrapped around her shoulder. She grabbed the folds and pulled them close. Though the cold had never bothered her, Hans had fostered her love for warmth. "Thank you."
"What are you doing out here?" Hans asked, finding the hand she still laid upon the rail. "We will be home tomorrow." She replied, eyes still captured by the great expanse of glittering starlight. It refracted of the lapping waves, filing the sea with a mirrored sky. It was as if they were flying.
"Yes." Hans agreed, giving her hand a press. "And the crew is throwing us a last night voyage party, remember? So I ask again, why are you out here all by yourself?"
"Have you thought on the past two weeks at all?" She countered, turning suddenly to him, eyes reflecting stars of her own. He felt his knees grow weak as he looked into those bright orbs, filled with life, light, and his new favorite color.
"How do you mean?" It was all he could manage.
"None of this," she elaborated, gesturing between the two of them, "would have happened had we not run into that storm. Had I delayed my voyage either way by a day, we would have been in Arendelle this whole time, you in some sort of reform prison and I busying myself with royal duties, living our lives none the wiser of the chance of—of the new life we missed."
"I'm pretty content not being in jail." Hans mused, leaning the small of his back against the rail. He stared at a sight more beautiful than the horizon.
"I can see that." She replied with a soft, smiling blush. However, the warm bliss was quickly overcome by the morose thoughts that were clinging to her mind. "But when I think of that twist in our story, in our lives, I can't help feeling guilty."
Hans felt a shiver of fear run down his back. "For what?" It was difficult to say more with his heart lodged in his throat.
"For being happy for the storm!" Elsa cried, tears in her eyes. "All those men, my men, died! It was a catastrophe! Yet here I am feeling glad it happened because—because—!"
Hans wrapped his arm around Elsa and pulled her close. She cried softly into his shoulder, fingers clasping the loose cotton of his shirt. The apprehension fell from his chest, allowing him to breathe easy once again. Elsa was not having second thoughts about a relationship with him. But she was conflicted and dealing with survivor's guilt. He'd always pursued and embraced his survival by any means necessary. He was a selfish man, a cruel man. But Elsa…Elsa helped him to realize these things, to see himself in a new critical light, to want to work to change, to make himself better. From this point on, he would no longer degrade and condemn himself for his ugly sides. Instead, he would work to change the things that bothered him in order to be a man of whom he could be proud.
"Let's have a funeral for them." Hans whispered, gently pushing her back a half step. "We can't spend our lives hating ourselves for surviving, for being able to live. But we can honor those that have passed."
Elsa gave a shaky sigh and nodded her head in agreement. "I'll ask Agust and the crew to join us. I'm sure he'd want to be a part of it, and they probably know some good prayers and songs for those lost at sea." Her parents' faces briefly flashed in her mind. Sighing out the last of her tears, she took a deep breath in of the crisp sea air and walked with Hans towards the presently merry mess hall.
The rest of the night was filled with the soft lyrics of "The Parting Glass", a song carried by wind and sea by a near perfect chorus of tenors, gruff bases, and one sole soprano.
XXX
Hans sat on a bench above deck helping one of the crew members repair fishing nets. It had taken a few tries, but with the skilled thatcher's direction and a bit of patience he'd finally gotten the hang of it. The constant looping, threading, and pulling of the fiber wires kept his mind calm and fidgety nerves occupied. According to the captain they were almost in Arendelle's seas. The idea of stepping out of the boat hand in hand with his renowned enemy made him increasingly nervous.
And Elsa's pacing was not helping matters.
"Would you stop?" He finally called, her nerves causing his to spike in agitation.
"I can't help it!" She hissed through her teeth as he neared, pointing at his aggressively. "And you're comments aren't making anything better!"
"I'm sorry." Hans sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "The anxiety is killing me, too."
"At least you don't have to explain all this to Anna." She shot offhandedly.
"At least you don't have to be the one explained to Anna!" He countered.
"Oh, gosh Hans!" She exasperated, running her hands through formerly tidy hair. "What am I going to do?"
Before the prince could provide an answer, the lookout in the crow's nest above gave an animated cry. "Ship ahoy!"
"What color are they flying?" Cristobal boomed from the helm.
"Dark blue—and green!" Was the response.
Elsa jolted. "Ask him if there is a yellow crocus on the flag." She directed the captain. He raised his brow in confusion, the word foreign to him. "A flower?"
"Do I look like someone who spends his free time frolicking in the meadow?"
"It's my country's crest." She explained, growing frustrated. "Looks a bit like an arrowhead topped with three petals?"
A bit miffed at the command and confused by the description, Cristobal boomed the second question up to the crow. He did not attempt to hide his skeptical humor.
"I appreciate your faith sir," the crow retorted, "but even I can't spot an emblem like that from this far!"
The captain shrugged. "Why don't you stand at the prow and watch the sails yourself? You know this crest better than any of us."
Running up to the prow, Cristobal called after her with a hearty laugh. "Catch!" Suddenly a cylinder was flying at her. Caught off guard, she shot an icicle at it with a cry of surprise. It struck the spyglass and sent it flying overboard. Before Cristobal could even shout in alarm Hans caught the precious optic, lunging over the rail and nearly falling in. With a small scream, Elsa ran over and helped him steady both feet on the proper side of the boat.
Hans laughed over Cristobal's fuming swears and examined the telescope for cracks or ice damage. He put the contraption to his eye, zooming in and out on Elsa's face, a red mixture of embarrassment and mischievous laughs.
"Seems to work just fine." He confirmed, handing his new toy to the queen then playfully pulling it out of her reach. "Perhaps I should keep ahold of it."
Laughing, Elsa jumped to grab the spyglass from Hans's hand, only to find Agust snatched it first. "How about you leave this to a trained professional?" He said dryly, limping towards the prow while properly adjusting the scope. Cristobal sighed audibly, muttering that the pay better be worth this babysitting.
"Agust!" Hans gasped with feigned horror. "Did you just demean your queen?"
Agust turned around, aghast. "Oh goodness! A thousand apologies, your highness!" He stammered, face blooming. "I didn't mean—I would never intend—!"
"It's alright, Agust!" Elsa laughed, jabbing Hans flirtatiously with her elbow. "I'm glad to see you having some fun. We've been through too much to treat one another so stiffly and formally anymore." She looked between the boys, hoping they would catch her meaning.
"I show affection through ill-humor." Hans stated, giving the young sailor a wink.
Agust's blush deepened a bit, and he looked down, still fiddling with the telescope. "Sorry your—I mean, Elsa?" He blinked uncomfortably, the unattached name odd on his tongue. "Let's go see if the sails have our crest."
After several minutes of trading off and waiting for the ship to sail closer, the trio was finally able to spot a crest on the flag. And it was indeed a "yellow arrowhead with three petals".
It took little convincing to get the captain to hail the Arendelle boat. After all, a royal escort to the country would make anchoring at the port ten times easier.
By the time the ships met, it did not take long for the naval sailors to realize their queen was on board. After all, she was screaming "It's me, Elsa!" at the top of her lungs.
"By Jove, it's the queen!" The sailors cried in various phrases. "The queen is alive? I can't belive it!" The officers quickly boarded the Eofar vessel, paying little attention to anything other than their long-lost queen.
"Your majesty!" The Arendelle captain shouted, royal plumage sprouting from his hat as he made his way from his boat, practically leaving it in the hands of a deck boy. Every person of royal importance was now aboard with Elsa, inquiring how she got here, who these people were, why she disappeared, and her health. There was a sense of panic, relief, and celebration amongst the crew as they attempted to usher her from the Eofar ship.
"Wait a minute!" Cristobal shouted angrily, jumping down from the helm. It spun out of control until the frantic quartermaster could secure it. "Don't jump ship on me, your highness. Eofar is due compensation and your promises."
"And who is this?" The royal captain shouted in surprise.
"It's alright, captain." Elsa tried to soothe, grabbing the man's decorated shoulder. "He's one of the rescuer's giving me passage home. Let me explain what happened."
"Not that gruff fellow!" The officer boomed audaciously, seemingly surprised by some fault of neglect. "That—that villain!" With horror, Elsa realized he was pointing at Hans, who had wisely shuffled off to the side. Until now. "Men, secure this prisoner!"
Before Elsa could protest the men rushed Hans and wrestled him to the ground. It was a rough scuffle and as much as Hans did not like being manhandled, he conceded without much of a fight. His pride was hurt more than any welts those royal brutes could give, but obedience was key if Elsa was to regain control of the situation.
This was not how Elsa planned Hans appearance to go. It needed to be smooth and forward from the start. If he was treated as her prisoner rather than her guest, it could throw off the balance of his acceptance in Arendelle, and their relationship, forever.
"This way." The guard holding Han's arms growled, forcing him towards the ramp that connecting the two boats.
"Captain, stop!" Elsa shouted, voice unheard by the bewildered, attentive servants and guards. They flocked to her, asking her questions of her whereabouts, her health, her appetite, and filling her in on the many royal affairs and meetings she had missed, including her own funeral. Some even attempted to carry her away.
Hans winced as his arm twisted, trying to look back towards Elsa, who was still being swarmed by tenants and royal sailors. "It's okay Elsa!" He called, craning his neck in her direction. "I'll be fine."
"Don't address the queen!" Another guard spat, whacking the back of the disgraced prince's head.
Ice rose with the flurry of events, surging with Elsa's growing panic. Breaking free of the loyal, but crazed, swarm around her, she ran towards the determined guards, leaving icy footprints in her wake.
"Let him go!"
"But my queen," the head guard exclaimed in surprise, seeming to hear her for the first time. "He is an enemy of the country, a prisoner!"
"No." Elsa commanded, icicles dancing underneath the flesh of her palms. The power may always be there, but she did not have to let herself lose control. "I said let him go."
"Your highness!" The captain stammered, giving a quick bow and signaling for the guards dragging Hans away to stop. They did in fact stop, and even turned back around. But Hans was still held between their arms.
"The part about letting me go?" Hans asked, somewhat timidly. His reminder was ignored.
"Your majesty, please accept my pardons, but may I please ask for explanation?" The captain requested carefully, afraid to meet her eyes. He paused briefly but continued before she could answer. "This man is a prisoner, the enemy of Arendelle. He was responsible for a coup to assassinate you and your sister and conquer the our kingdom. He is a liar and a traitor and a fiend!"
"That's enough." Elsa interjected.
"You were sent on a diplomatic mission to retrieve a prisoner." The captain continued, now looking Elsa in the eyes. "When you failed to return, we were led to believe the worst. War with the Southern Isles was even discussed. We feared the prisoner and his people somehow kidnapped, shipwrecked, or killed you!"
"That's enough!" Elsa shouted, eyes blazing. "Your worries are understandable, but debased. I am here, alive and well, and can speak for myself." Elsa paused, teetering on the edge of her tale, unsure how to begin. Everyone was quiet, the eyes of two full crews all on her. She looked towards Hans, his big hazel eyes wide with anticipation, waiting to hear what she had to say, what she would reveal. All she could think of was that she loved him.
"Hans and I…" Elsa began, giving a small cough.
"Hans saved us all, captain."
Elsa, Hans, and the two crews whirled towards the voice. It was Agust.
"And you might be?"
"I am Agust, a private on the Queen's Royalty, a ship that sank two weeks ago when we encountered a storm between the Isles and Arendelle. Hans was a prisoner aboard, but because of his heroics Elsa and I are alive today. A lot has happened these past two weeks, captain. We've been through too much together to hold grudges." Agust looked at Hans and nodded a sign of forgiveness and respect.
Elsa smiled at the young sailor, a smile of pride and gratitude. Though she wanted her relationship with Hans to be an honest part of her reign rather than a secret affair, she was did not want to expose the details like this. That would be for another, more formal time. Hopefully soon.
"Release Prince Hans." Elsa ordered again, rediscovering her strength. "He is a hero and my guest. We will discuss the matters of my disappearance later. For now, take rest I am here and heading home."
The guards finally complied, releasing Hans who dramatically rubbed his arms and cast them dirty looks. Unabashed, he made his way towards Agust and gave him a firm handshake. "I knew you'd come around, kid." He said with a genuine smile. "Thank you."
"Yeah, well don't make me regret it." Agust replied sheepishly.
"And I wish the best of luck to you and Abbie."
Agust's head nearly exploded.
Coming around to Elsa's side, Hans smile at her from the corner of his eye.
It was decided that Elsa, Hans, and Agust would continue aboard to the port on the Eofar vessel in order to keep their promise and affirm their new alliance. The royal ship, a fast frigate, would return back to the fjords at full speed to give the message the queen was alive and returning…with honored guests. Elsa would finally be home in a few short hours.
"I believe I forgot to thank you, your highness." Hans said once the royal ship had detached and hoisted its sails.
"They didn't hurt you too much, did they?" She asked. He shook his head with a smile.
"Nothing I couldn't handle." He assured. "But for a moment there I was afraid you were going to get publically sentimental."
"You idiot." Elsa teased, rolling her eyes. "That's a message we can deliver another day."
"And what will that message be exactly?" Hans asked with a coy smile.
Grabbing Hans's collar, Elsa pulled her prince into a kiss.
"That I love you."
The blush that bloomed on Hans's face put Agust's to shame. He smiled dopily, lost for words for the first times in his life. But before his pause could give Elsa alarm he gave his response.
"Elsa, I love you too."
Smiles of adoration on both sides, eager and nervous for their future, their kiss resumed; a kiss filled with the meaning of love.
XXX
"She's here she's here she's here she's here!" Anna yelled, running down the near empty castle halls.
"Who's here?" Kristoff mumbled, rising from bed. Anna ripped the blinds to their room open, bathing the dark quarters in midday light.
"Elsa!" She exasperated, throwing herself on the rumpled sheets and pulling her husband out of bed. "Why are you still asleep!?"
"It's been a hard few—did you say Elsa has returned?" He stammered, coming out of his sleepy daze. "She's alive?"
"Yes!" Anna squealed with a smile so wide she nearly swallowed her joy filled tears. "The port guard just reported that she arrived on a foreign boat! Come on!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Kristoff ensured with a bewildered laugh, allowing his spritely wife to drag him through the castle still half dressed.
"My lord, your coat." A servant dutifully interjected, handing the stumbling blond a formal jacket. Anna would have dragged him out doors barefooted had one of the maids not shouted otherwise.
"I knew she was alive!" Anna cried all the way, ripping a black bonnet from her strawberry blonde hair. She'd refused to go into mourning, insisting that Elsa was still alive, that she could feel it in her heart. But the strength of the people, even Kristoff the last two days, had begun to wane. She'd been pressured to make an appearance the night before, to publically take up the mantle as the Regent and project ideas about Arendelle's way forward—about her possibly becoming queen and going to war with the Southern Isles! She'd done it all with tears in her eyes and gritting teeth, the only one who believed Elsa was not dead. She couldn't lose her sister to the sea as well, not after getting her back so soon. Thankfully the ceremonies and speeches had all been in vain, because Elsa had returned. She was alive.
She had so many questions to ask her sister. According to the naval guard, Elsa arrived on a different boat than which she departed, and in different clothes and company as well. What could that mean? Where had her sister been all this time? What had happened? But all these and more could and would wait until she first smothered her in hugs.
"Elsa!" Anna shouted loudly upon arriving at the port. She wagged Kristoff's hand, encouraging him to shout too. The Official Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer laughed heartily, joining in his wife's gleeful shouts. He was beyond relieved his sister-in-law was alive.
"Wait for us!" Olaf called from behind, bobbling on the galloping Sven. "Ding-dong the Queen is back, the queen is back!" It was by a miracle the snowman was able to hang on, especially considering his arms weren't permanently attached to his round body. "Ding-dong the Queen is back, the queen is back!
"Anna? Olaf?" A voice shouted from a tall travel boat, rocking on slow fjord waves.
"Elsa! We're here! Come on, you guys!" Anna shouted with a wider smile, happy to see all her friends and family were here for the reunion. It was going to be terrific, magical, splendid, bright, and—!
"Hans?"
Anna jolted to a stop, seeing the old enemy freely, and a bit too confidently, coming ashore from the foreign boat. He gave her a queasy smile then reached back towards the boat, grabbing a hand to guide down the boarding ramp. Exiting the boat, hand in hand with Arendelle's most wanted, was Elsa.
"Anna!" Elsa greeted, breaking from the villain and running to her sister. She pulled Anna into a fierce, loving hug. "I missed you so much," she whispered into her ear, then stepping back, "All of you! I'm so sorry if I scared you."
"I'm so happy you're back!" Anna fought out, caught up in a whirlwind of confusing emotions.
Elsa reached back towards Hans, who still stood at the end of the plank, and motioned for him to come. Once he was by her side, he gave another bashful smile to the group.
"Hello, Anna—Kristoff—animals?" He tried sheepishly, roses blooming on his cheeks.
Olaf laughed gleefully, sliding off the reindeer and giving the queen his own icy hug. Sven snorted at Hans, the animal noise voicing the expressions of Anna and his master.
"I'm sure you have some questions." Elsa affirmed bashfully, looking away with a nervous glow. She looked back to Hans and boldly took his hand into hers. She gave it a squeeze then looked back to her family. "Prince Hans has been forgiven and is too live in the Castle as my guest. He and I…we all have much to talk about."
Anna's, Kristoff's, and Sven's simultaneously jaws dropped.
"Awe, their holding hands!" Olaf squealed, dancing and giggling. "I just love happy endings!"
My last parting gift, the song "You and I – Reprise" from the musical Chess. This song, along with "Where I Want to Be" of the same musical, gave this fic life. If you want to view the song, I recommend a YouTube video called "Checkers part 16 of 16" with Josh Groban and Indina Menzel! Song ends around 4:30.
Thank you for reading and keeping me writing! So happy to have written and, more importantly, finished this piece.
The End